• Fall Turkey Season Proposal Discussed
• Lost License Proposal
• River Otter Removed From State Threatened List; Conservative OtterTrapping Season Proposed
• Sage Grouse Season Will Remain Closed
• Commission Changes Age Restriction on Youth Waterfowl Season
• Commission Modifies Archery Deer Season
• Live Trap Petition Denied
• Border Water Length Limit for Flathead Catfish Created

Fall Turkey Season Proposal Discussed

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission discussed their proposal to slightly decrease the number of licenses available for the 2020 and 2021 fall turkey hunting seasons.

The proposal would include 200 resident and 16 nonresident, single-tag “any turkey” licenses for the Black Hills season. The prairie units would have 400 single-tag and 35 double-tag “any turkey” licenses for residents and 28 single and 3 double tag “any turkey” licenses available for nonresidents.

The proposal would also close Gregory (Unit 12A), Mellette (50A), and Tripp (60A) counties to the fall turkey hunting season, as well as establish and open Bon Homme County (Unit 12A) for the season.

The proposed seasons would run Nov. 1, 2020 – Jan. 31, 2021 and Nov. 1, 2021 – Jan 31, 2022.

Individuals can comment online at gfp.sd.gov/forms/positions or mail comments to 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501.

To be included in the public record and to be considered by the commission, comments must include a full name and city of residence and meet the submission deadline of 72 hours before the public hearing (not including the day of the public hearing).

The next commission meeting will be held June 4 via teleconference.

Lost License Proposal Discussed

PIERRE, S.D. – At their May meeting, the Game, Fish and Parks Commission discussed their proposal to remove the $20 administrative fee for lost or destroyed licenses, permits or game tags. However, the license agent’s fee established by SDCL 41-6-66.1 would still be charged by license agents and the department.

Wildlife Division Director Tom Kirschenmann explained to the commission the purpose of requesting this change is a direct action to provide enhanced customer service. The replacement cost was inadvertently creating a barrier to participation in certain circumstances.

Authorized license agents and the department, as per SDCL 41-6-66.1, will charge a license agent’s fee of $4 for resident and $8 for nonresident licenses.

Individuals can comment online at gfp.sd.gov/forms/positions or mail comments to 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501.

To be included in the public record and to be considered by the commission, comments must include a full name and city of residence and meet the submission deadline of 72 hours before the public hearing (not including the day of the public hearing).

The next commission meeting will be held June 4 via teleconference.

GFP Commission Finalizes Removal of River Otter from State Threatened List; Proposes Conservative Otter Trapping Season

PIERRE, S.D. – The Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission finalized the action to remove the river otter from South Dakota’s list of threatened species at their May teleconference meeting.

Several factors have allowed river otter populations to rebound in South Dakota, including re-introductions, improvements in wetland and river habitat management, and protections through various laws.

GFP developed a species status review for river otters to provide strategic guidance for the recovery and sustained management of river otter. Part of the review includes recovery criteria, which provides guidelines for removing the river otter from the state threatened species list when appropriate.

The commission then introduced a proposal to establish a conservative river otter trapping season with the following rules:

1. Establish a trapping season that is open from sunrise on November 1 to sunset on December 31 in all counties of the state.

2. Limit of one river otter per trapper per season.

3. Statewide harvest limit of 15 river otters. Season will end prior to December 31 if the harvest limit is reached.

4. Trapping season open to residents only with a furbearer license.

5. A river otter shall be reported to the Department within 24 hours of harvest. At time of reporting, arrangements will be made to check in the carcass and detached pelt at a GFP office or designated location for registration and tagging of the pelt within 5 days of harvest. Additionally, once the season has closed (last day of season or harvest limit reached), a person has 24 hours to notify the Department of a harvested river otter.

6. The pelt shall be removed from the carcass and the carcass shall be surrendered to the Department. After the pelt has been tagged, it shall be returned to the trapper. Upon request, the carcass may be returned to the trapper after the carcass has been inspected and biological data collected.

7. Any river otter harvested after the 24-hour period following the close of the season, will be considered incidental take and shall be surrendered to the Department.

8. A person may only possess, purchase or sell raw river otter pelts that are tagged through the eyeholes with the tag provided by the Department or if the river otter was harvested on tribal or trust land of an Indian reservation or another state and is properly and securely tagged with a tag supplied by the governmental entity issuing the license.

Individuals can comment online at gfp.sd.gov/forms/positions or mail comments to 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501.

To be included in the public record and to be considered by the commission, comments must include a full name and city of residence and meet the submission deadline of 72 hours before the public hearing (not including the day of the public hearing).

The next commission meeting will be held June 4 via teleconference.

GFP Commission Votes to Keep Sage Grouse Season Closed

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission agreed to keep the sage grouse hunting season closed at their May meeting based on the data collected supporting the department’s recommendation to retain the season closure.

Retaining a season closure was based on the season recommendation guidelines found in the Sage Grouse Management Plan for South Dakota. Results from the 2019 spring lek surveys indicated 60 (66 in 2018) males counted on priority leks and 153 (168 in 2018) males counted on all leks. The 2020 spring lek surveys are still in progress and will be completed in mid-May. Preliminary results indicate similar number of males as documented in 2019.

GFP Commission Changes Age Restrictions for Youth Waterfowl Season

PIERRE, S.D. – The Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission modified the eligibility for participation in the youth waterfowl season to those who have not reached the age of 16 to youth who have not reached the age of 18.

The change aligns state regulations with federal regulations and would allow youth up to 17 years of age to participate in the youth waterfowl season.

GFP Commission Modifies Archery Deer Season, Adds Units in some Municipalities

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission finalized the 2020 archery deer season at their May meeting.

The season will run from Sept. 1 – Jan. 1

The commission made several changes from the 2019 season, including:

1. Modified the season start date for Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge from the fourth Saturday of September to September 1.

2. Modified the season start date for Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge from the third Saturday of October to September 1.

3. In addition to the one “antlerless whitetail deer” license for residents and nonresidents for Unit ARD-LM1, the commission made an allowance for no more than 500 single-tag “antlerless any deer” licenses that will be distributed amongst all municipal archery deer hunting units. Deer hunters can possess an “antlerless whitetail deer” license and would also be eligible to apply for the newly proposed single-tag “antlerless any deer” licenses that will be designated for municipal archery deer hunting units. There will be no more than 500 of these municipal antlerless licenses available.

4. Establish municipal archery deer hunting units for the following city limits: Custer, Rapid City and Sioux Falls. Season structure and specific regulations would be determined by the appropriate municipality within the requirements and restrictions of the South Dakota archery season.

Municipality Licenses Available 

Custer 45

Rapid City 60

Sioux Falls 60

GFP Commission Denies Petition on Livetrap Removal

At their May meeting, the Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission received a public petition to amend the date of livetrap removal from September 1 to July 1.

GFP continues to support and advocate for live traps to be allowed on public lands throughout the summer. Commissioners agreed the petition’s suggested change would restrict or take away opportunity for trappers to utilize public lands during the summer, which is contrary to the department’s efforts to recruit, retain and reactivate outdoor recreators, also known as R3 efforts.

After hearing public testimony, the Commission took the action to deny the petition and retain the administrative rule to allow live traps on public lands through September 1.

GFP Commission Creates Length Limit for Flathead Catfish on Border Waters

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game, Fish and Park (GFP) Commission finalized a regulation change proposal creating a length limit for flathead catfish on waters shared by Nebraska and South Dakota.

The rule will allow anglers to harvest, at most, one flathead 30 inches or longer, as part of the daily limit.

This rule is an extension of previous commission action that created the same length limit for flatheads in all South Dakota inland waters.